Breaking down the archetypes of the most “boring” units in Factions: Battlegrounds.

“Vanilla” (a term borrowed from Magic the Gathering players) refers to a creature card that has no rules text. It simply has it’s cost, and it’s power and toughness. For Factions: Battlegrounds, we can translate that to mean a unit that has nothing beyond it’s gold cost and it’s 4 basic attributes (Rank, Movement, Attack and Health). It’s a relatively exclusive club, as there are only 18 total units that fit the “vanilla” description, and none of them are going to make anyone’s best or most exciting unit list. However, despite their blandness, they can still have their moments!

If a unit has even 1 of the secondary attributes (Captain, flying, or a ranged attack), I’m not including it with this group.

Vanilla units – for the most part- fall into one of 4 categories that show up across multiple factions.

Vanilla Type 1: The Warm Bodies

Sometimes, you just need a unit on the board. These units are just that… units. Probably the most boring and basic units of all, the warm bodies can generate resources, maybe poke an enemy, and be thrown straight into the line of fire to protect more important units. Not much to be said, except that being this basic, boring and cheap does not automatically equate to being “bad”. In fact, Dwarf Warrior and Mishnari Soldier see the battleground more often than not!

Vanilla Type 2: Speedy Scouts

To qualify as a “speedy scout” (based on my totally unscientific opinion) a unit has to cost 4 gold or less and have a 3 movement. Speedy Scouts are actually extremely important to their respective factions, because they can claim an open resource center straight out of the basecamp. These units are always great vanguard choices! Ihalaban Reaver is probably the best of the bunch because they can also carve up vulnerable enemies. All of these units, however, have pretty much a 100% chance of dying- and dying fast, so make sure that you claim that resource center before they bite the dust!

Vanilla Type 3: Meat Shields

To fit the meat shield criteria, a unit has to have a health of 4 or more, and an attack attribute less than it’s health. Meat Shields are there to get smacked in the face and not flinch. They survive attacks and can wear down enemy resources. These units are the hard bodies of Graviterrus. For the most part they are affordable and won’t ever be a huge loss when eliminated. Usually, meat shields have a critical flaw that makes them nothing more than meat shields despite their great defense… a 1 in rank or movement is particularly painful (and for the Bonesteel Colossus it’s both). Battle Tembophant and Tortuloid Soldier are my top meat shields because they both are really cost-friendly and don’t have that obnoxious 1 rank or stuck in quicksand 1 movement.

Vanilla Type 4: 2-way Melee Hitters

At the 6 gold cost slot, some factions have the option of a solid 2 way (good attack and defense) vanilla monster. These units are useful melee fighters. They are separated from the meat shields by having strong attack and no movement or rank debilitations. The drawback to the 2 way melees is that at 6 gold they actually become a bad value play. Most factions can recruit an equally skilled melee unit with abilities as the frosting on the cake or a more versatile unit such as a ranged unit, a flyer, or a spellcaster. This leads these units to see the battleground less than other vanilla archetypes. They are relatively matchup dependent and can get benched with some frequency. However, when they do get recruited, if used as a secondary melee fighter they can have a massive impact on the battle. Rampaging Gorolox, with 3 movement, is, (in my opinion) the best pure vanilla unit in the game, as it possesses great speed and attack for it’s cost.

The last Tree standing…..

There is only 1 vanilla unit that I think could be a central part of a winning battle plan, and that is the Monstrous Umuthi. It’s technically just an enormous meat shield and it moves at a slug’s pace, but that defense skill is so high that it can fully take over a battle. A 5 attack is more than enough to force your opponent to have to approach with caution. I do think that as far as pure value goes, the Rampaging Gorolox, Battle Tembophant or Tortuloid Soldier might be a better play, but as far as the potential to completely take over a game goes, the Monstrous Umuthi stands in a category by itself.

What “vanilla” units do you find yourself using?? Let me know!